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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Episodes (Selected Poem-Prose: 2008-2010) by Zach Matteson

Zach Matteson will be self-publishing a volume of written work this weekend for his Master's Thesis at APSU. I had the pleasure of talking with him about his work and designing and illustrating a cover for the collection this week. Zach has a fine grasp on his voice and has harnessed some wonderful situations onto paper for his audience. I'll take the liberty of giving audience to a sample with you here...

Zach's Thesis:

One cannot disinherit narrative,

neither the number

nor the pronoun.

Ask a mathematician, a linguist.

Sequence equals consequence.

PLASTIC MENAGERIE: 1989

You learn early that fireflies don’t bite, that insects that can’t make their own are attracted to light. My mother drowns a plastic, peanut butter jar in dishwater. With her nails, she flays the wolfish visage of its flakey fish-scale label. No bowl molds before soaking in her sink, though macaroni grows occasionally hairy, forgotten in the fridge. She slits the lid with squinty-eyes.

Zach, I also had a poem with Erato as the subject in my first volume of poety, entitled Sun Twist. My brow went wAY uP when I saw the title in your final draft. Keep the translation of your voice tuned and sound; it's a fine instrument which you've mastered.